Police ask to bring charges against four people in Bunkus murder case

RIGA - The State Police has asked the prosecution to bring criminal charges against four people in the murder case of insolvency lawyer Martins Bunkus, LETA learned from the police.

During the investigation, the police obtained evidence, allowing four persons to be recognized as suspects in the criminal proceedings - three Latvian citizens and one Russian citizen. The investigation provides a clear picture of the circumstances of the crime and the involved persons, including distribution of roles - from the person ordering the murder to the organizer and executor of the murder. The case has been compiled in 121 volumes.

A person born in 1974 has been charged with murder under particularly aggravating circumstances in an organized group, illegal circulation of firearms and illegal disclosure of pre-trial information. According to the information at the disposal of LETA this person is a Russian citizen.

A person born in 1961 has been charged with abetting a murder committed particularly aggravating circumstances in an organized group. The incrimination provides for criminal responsibility for a crime in an oirganized group, besides, the crime has been committed because the victim has participated in preventing or stopping a crime or has given testimony at court or in a pre-trial criminal procedure. According to the information at the disposal of LETA, this person is Aleksandrs Babenko.

A person born in 1953 has been charged with abetting a murder committed particularly aggravating circumstances in an organized group. The incrimination provides for criminal responsibility for a crime in an oirganized group, besides, the crime has been committed because the victim has participated in preventing or stopping a crime or has given testimony at court or in a pre-trial criminal procedure. According to the information at the disposal of LETA, this person is businessman Mihails Ulmans.

A person born in 1970 has been charged with particularly aggravating circumstances in an organized group. According to the information at the disposal of LETA, this person is Arkadijs Judins.

Three of the suspects have been arrested, while one has been imposed a security measure that does not entail deprivation of liberty. Judins today was released after several months in jail.

In addition, two new criminal procedures have been launched - on large-scale money laundering in an organized group against the person born in 1970 and on crimes against national economy against persons born in 1961 and 1953. Investigation on these cases is going on.

The police noted that international cooperation played an important role in investigation of the murder.

Aiga Eiduka, spokeswoman of the prosecution's office, told LETA that the prosecution received the case on November 24, and the prosecutor has to make the decision on charges in ten days. As soon as the decision is made, the public will be informed about it, Eiduka said.

As reported, Bunkus was shot while driving his vehicle on the morning of May 30, 2018, when he drove past the Riga Forest Cemetery.

On May 24, 2022, the State Police announced that they had managed to establish practically all persons involved in the murder of Bunkus, including the hitman who shot and killed the lawyer and the person who ordered the murder. The hitman and the person who ordered the murder were among several persons taken under arrest on May 24.